Rodri Calls for Barcelona to Sign Julian Alvarez
Rodri has barely unpacked his bags in Barcelona, but he already knows exactly who he wants alongside him at Camp Nou: Julian Alvarez.
The Spain international, freshly arrived from Manchester, has been open about his admiration for his former team-mate and made no attempt to hide it when speaking to Mundo Deportivo. Asked if he would like to see Barcelona move for the Atletico Madrid forward, Rodri didn’t dance around the question.
“Would I sign him here? Of course,” he said. “I think he is a sensational player. I would take him here without hesitation. I had the chance to play with him for two years, and I think he is an incredible player, truly incredible.”
Those two seasons together in the Premier League gave Rodri a close-up view of Alvarez’s development into one of the most complete forwards in Europe. The Argentine’s name sat on the shortlist of several giants in the summer window, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both strongly linked. Atletico, though, had no interest in strengthening a direct rival.
The Premier League tried to call him back as well. Arsenal were credited with serious interest, but Alvarez, according to reports, had no desire to return to England so soon after leaving.
Rodri’s praise went beyond the usual compliments about goals and work rate. He homed in on the World Cup winner’s tactical brain and versatility, qualities that make him such an attractive target for a club like Barcelona, who constantly search for attacking players capable of interchanging positions and reading complex patterns.
“He has almost played more often as a number 10 than as a number 9, even though he initially came from a number 9 position,” Rodri explained. “But he has also adapted to a role where he can play as an attacking midfielder, a playmaker, and he has even played matches as a central midfielder. He is truly a spectacular player.”
From pure penalty-box finisher to roaming creator, Alvarez has shown he can do it all. That range is exactly what makes him so difficult to pin down – and so difficult to defend.
For now, though, the 26-year-old’s world is painted red and white. He remains locked in on Atletico’s season, having already featured twice in La Liga, and Diego Simeone will lean heavily on his goals and movement as Los Rojiblancos chase a serious tilt at the title.
The noise around him, however, will not quieten after Rodri’s intervention. A former team-mate, now a key figure at Barcelona, publicly calling for his signing only adds fuel to long-running speculation about Alvarez’s future.
Barcelona continue to scan the market for top-level attacking reinforcements. If Alvarez keeps delivering for Atletico and Rodri keeps banging the drum in Catalonia, how long before a “spectacular” swoop stops being a rumour and turns into a real battle between Spain’s giants?
